Method of casting and trimming sliders in multiple, utilizing unitary bifurcated cores



Sept. 14, 1965 L. H. MORIN METHOD OF CASTING AND TRIMMING SLIDERS IN MULTIPLE, UTILIZING UNITARY BIFURCATED GORES Filed Jan. 20, 1964 El g 1.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A 00/5 H. Mom/v HTTORNEY Sept. 14, 1965 L. H. MORIN METHOD OF CASTING AND TRIMMING SLIDERS IN MULTIPLE, UTILIZING UNITARY BIFURCATED CORES Filed Jan. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A 00/5 NOR/N H TTORNE Y Sept. 14, 1965 1.. H. MORIN 3,205,570

METHOD OF CASTING AND TRIMMING SLIDERS IN MULTIPLE, UTILIZING UNITARY BIFURCATED CORES Filed Jan. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Lou/5 Mom/v BY W HTTORA/EY United States Patent METHOD OF CASTING AND TRIMMING SLIDERS IN MULTIPLE, UTILIZING UNITARY BIFUR- CATED CORES Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N.Y. (125 Beechwood Ave., New Rochelle, NY.) Filed Ian. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,912 10 Claims. ('Cl. 29-409) This invention relates to forming sliders for separable fasteners stringers, wherein the sliders are cast in multiple upon unitary bifurcated cores at a casting or forming station and then moved by one of the cores to a first stripper station, at which station the pair or spray of formed sliders are grasped by a gripper arm and moved to a combined trimming and further stripping and delivery station. More particularly, the invention deals with a method of the character defined, wherein the gripper arm includes means definitely controlling position of the formed spray of sliders at said trimming station.

Still more particularly, the invention deals in a method of establishing a slight undercut between a movable core and slider bodies to remove the spray of cast sliders from the stationary core and into position at the first stripper station, where said movable core is freed from the sliders immediately after the gripper arm has engaged a transfer lug portion integrally formed with the cast sliders.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged diagrammatic face view of one part of a die showing two bifurcated cores in engagement with each other and outlining in dotted lines the spray of formed sliders, with the frog or web portion of the sliders shown in section, the illustration of the cores being diagrammatic and in rough outline.

FIG. 2 is a view, generally similar to FIG. 1, showing the movable core in a partially open position, with the spray of sliders at the stripper stop position and with the gripper arm in operative engagement with the transfer lug of the casting.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the spray of sliders moved by the gripper arm into a position at right angeles to that shown in FIG. 2, with the spray of sliders positioned at the trimming station, the sliders being shown in the full line position of the sliders as appears, in part, in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the initial positioning of the sliders being illustrated, in part, in dotted lines in FIG. 4, this view being slightly enlarged from the showing in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a section on the broken line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and showing, in elevation, the trimming punch, which advances the spray of sliders from the dotted position of FIG. 4 to the full position illustrated in said figure.

FIG. 5 has a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing the trimming punch unit, illustrated, in part, in FIG. 3, in advanced trimming position.

FIG. 6 is a section on the broken line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view, similar to FIGS. 3 and 5, showing the trimming punch unit retracted, with the trimmed sliders at what might be termed a second stripping and delivery station; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the frog or web portion of one slider, illustrating a portion of the movable core to illustrate clearly the slight undercut formed between the movable core and each of the frogs or webs for feeding of the spray of sliders from the casting station to the position illustrated in FIG. 2.

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In order to simplify the showing, the sliders have been shown in an outline form without detail to the contour of the walls and omitting superstructure, such as commonly employed on the outer surface of one of the walls of the slider for attachment of a pull, which is commonly employed and other contours to the wall to include sliders of the automatic lock or pin lock type, such as are well-known in the art to which this invention relates. Furthermore, the contours of the bifurcated cores are not illustrated to form the flanged side walls of the sliders and any other surface contours to the walls proper as, admittedly, the rough outline showing of what might be regarded as the high points or lines of the cores where they abut one with respect to the other is all that has been shown. Here again, it will be apparent that those skilled in the art will fully understand that these contours on the cores will naturally be employed.

Considering FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 10 generally represents what can be called the casting or molding station employing a pair of relatively movable dies, one of the dies being illustrated at 11. This die will have, on its surface, a pair of generally similar slider cavities 12, 12' and forming a pair or spray of sliders 13, 13', having walls 14, 14' and an opposed wall 15, one only of which is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6 of the drawing. These Walls are joined at the wide end of the sliders in a connecting frog or web 16, 16', the walls 14, 14' having, at the narrow or contracted end portion, inwardly extending flanges 17 17', the opposed wall 15 also having similar flanges as illustrated, in part, at 18 in FIGS. 4 and 6 of the drawing. Adjacent surfaces of the flanges 17 and 18 are spaced apart, as noted at 19 in FIG. 4 of the drawing, to receive the tape of stringers, as with other devices of this type and kind.

On the surface of the die 11 is a cavity 20 to form a gate 21, which extends to one of the flanges 17. Between the flanges 17, 17 is a cavity forming a connecting bar 22 and extending from the outer flange 17 of the slider 14' is a cavity forming a shelf 23 and an angularly extending transfer lug 24 with a V-shaped alignment control notch 25 in its outer surface.

Arranged between adjacent surfaces of the dies are fixed and movable bifurcated cores 26 and 27, the core 26 being fixed to a suitable support, not shown, by bolts 28. The core 26 has a pair of upwardly extending forked members 29, 29', the V-shaped ends 30, 30' of which are adapted to partially form the frogs or webs 16, 16'. The core 27 has two pairs of depending members 31, 31' which receive the members 29, 29' and both cores have bevelled surfaces which abut, as indicated, at 32 in alignment with the flanges on the walls of the slider, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Considering, for a moment, the enlarged showing of FIG. 8 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the upper inner portions of the members 31 of the core 27 extend onto side walls of the web 16 in slightly undercut portions 33, which is a few thousandths less in relative spacing than the largest diameter of the web, as a 34 in said figure. In this connection, it will be understood that the members 31' are similarly formed and, by virtue of these slight undercuts, it is possible to remove the spray of sliders 13, 13' from the fixed core 26 in movement of the sliders to the first stripper station, indicated in said figure, which upward movement is checked by stripper stops 35 which engage the walls 14, 14 and, at this moment, a gripper arm 36 having suitable grippers 37 and 38 at its free end is swung on its pivot 39 into position to engage and grasp the transfer lug 24, the gripper 38 having a projecting V-portion 4i entering therecess 25 in control of positive alinement and positioning of the spray of cast sliders from the stripper station of FIG. 2 to the trimming 3 and final discharge station illustrated in FIGS. 3, and 7, the latter station including a second stripper station in final removal or displacement of the pair of formed and trimmed sliders.

As and when the gripper arm has engaged the spray of sliders 13, 13', as in FIG. 2, the movable core 27 continues in its upward progress from the core 26 and this upward movement of the core 27 is illustrated, in part, in FIG. 2. The movement will be sufiicient to clear. the spray of sliders and their associated parts in movement from the position of FIG. 2 into the position shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

When the spray of sliders are positioned at the trimming station, FIGS. 3 to 6, inclusive, the spray of sliders are first moved by trimming punches, one of which is shown at 41 in FIG. 4 of the drawing to pass the spray of sliders through a trimming plate 42 to removethe gate 21, the connecting bar 22, the shelf 23, including the transfer lug 24, all of which are indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3 of the drawing. In this operation, the gripper 37 has been moved into an open position to free the trimmed parts 23 and 24 and all of the trimmed parts, including 21 and 22, are dropped into a suitable receptacle, not shown.

In the aforesaid trimming operation, each of the trimmed sliders have been moved to bring the opposed wall, for example, the wall 15, into what might be termed a nest 43 in an associated plate 44, as clearly noted in FIG. 4 of the drawing, to definitely position the two sliders in the plates 42 and 44. Both plates will have an outline contour of each slider and the contour of the plate 42 is indicated, for example, in the apertures 45;

45', as clearly illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawing. It will, of course, be apparent that the recess of the nest 43 will have a similar contour. Only part of each plate is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and it will be understood that a recess or nest will be provided in the plate 44 in alinement with the aperture 45'.

Arranged between the plates 42 and 43 is a trimming punch unit 46, consisting of two side punches 47, 47' and a central punch 48 and these punches move from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown, in FIGS. 5 and 6 in trimming side surfaces of the frogs or webs 16, 16' and inner surfaces of the flanges 17, 18, as well as adjacent surfaces of the flanges where they are spaced, as at 19, to fully and completely trim the two sliders 13, 13. Upon completion of this operation, the plates 42, 44 are separated slightly to clear the walls of the sliders; whereupon, the unit 46 is moved from the position of FIG. 5, bringing with the unit the two sliders frictionally supported on the unit 46 to the position shown in FIG. 7, where the walls 14, 14' strike the pairs of stripper stops 49, 49' as the unit 46 moves into the position of FIG. 7, thus freely releasing the two trimmed sliders 13, 13', so that they may drop into a suitable receptacle at said station; whereupon, the above cycle of operation can be repeated in forming the next successive spray of cast or molded sliders. will be understood that the core 27 can be returned to engagement with the core 26 and the dies closed at the casting or molding station and the next successive spray of sliders can be formed during the final trimming and discharge at the station noted in FIG. 7. It will also be apparent that the arm 36 can be moved into position to engage and grasp the next successive spray of sliders for movement into the station noted in FIGS. 3 to 7, inclusive, with the plates 42, 44 and the unit 46 in the position of FIG. 3, 41 having been fully retracted to position the next successive spray of sliders at the surface of 42, as diagrammatically illustrated, in part, in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

For purposes of description,- the complete cast or molded assemblage, as illustrated at 50 in FIG. .2 of the drawing, may be said to comprise the spray of sliders assemblage, as it includes the gate 21, the connecting bar In this connection, it

22, as Well as the transfer lug 24, including its shelf portion 23 and it is this assemblage which is moved by the gripper arm 36 from the stripper station, shown in FIG. 2, to the combined trimming and final discharge station, shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, inclusive. In movement of this assemblage 50, it will be understood that the connecting bar serves to maintain the adjacent slider in proper spaced relationship to each other for purposes of alinement with the apertures, as at 45, 45' in the plate 42 to insure the completion of the first trimming operation, removing the gate, bar and transfer lug and also proper positioning of thetrimmed sliders in the nests of the plate 44, one only of these nests being shown at 43.

With my improved method, it will be apparent that sliders for separable fastener stringers can be produced in a fully trimmed condition in a manner to materially increase-the productionof products of this type and kind, resulting in a tremendous saving in cost. While in the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the formation of a pair of sliders, it will be apparent that this is by way of illustration only, as three or more sliders can be simultaneously formed. Here, it is to be kept in mind that, in actual practice, the size of the sliders is comparatively small, the enlarged views being employed for clearer illustration.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of forming and trimming sprays of. separable fastener sliders, which consists in forming a spray of sliders at a casting station on bifuracted cores, at least one of which is movable relatively to the other, the formation of each spray of sliders at the casting station including a gate, a connecting bar integrally joining adjacent sliders and a part including a transfer lug, then separating the dies and operating the movable core to feed the spray of sliders to a first stripper station, en-

gaging said transferlug by grippers of a gripper arm at said station, then continuing movement of said movable core to strip the spray of sliders therefrom, then actuating the gripper arm to move the spray of slider assemblage to a trimming station including a trimmer plate and a supporting and aliner plate, forcing the spray of slider assemblage through the trimmer plate to trim the gate, connecting bar and transfer lug from the spray of sliders and simultaneously seatthe trimmed sliders in nests of said aliner plate, then moving a trim punch unit between said plates and through the sliders in further trimming the sliders, then moving the trimmed sliders by said unit to a second stripper station, and removing the trimmed sliders from said unit for discharge into a suitable receptacle.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said trim punch unit employs a plurality of independent punches for trimming sides of the slider webs and side flanges of walls of the sliders, and, said punches being utilized, by virtue of frictional engagementwith the trimmed sliders, to feed the trimmed sliders to the second trimmer station.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer lug of the spray of sliders and one of the grippers of the gripper arm have interengaging means for positive alinement of said assemblage in movement from the first stripper station to the trimming station.

4. A method as defined in claim l, wherein said movable core includes undercut portions engaging the webs of the sliders for feed of the spray ofasliders from the casting station to the first stripper station.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein said first stripper station includes stops engaging a wall of each of the sliders in said spray in checking feed of the spray from the casting station to said stripper station, and said spray being stripped from the movable core by continued movement of the movable core beyond the stopped position of said spray.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said cores include interengaging angular surfaces alined with flanged side walls of the sliders in said spray, and said cores collectively forming the webs of the sliders of said spray.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the movable core includes means engaging the webs of the sliders for feed of the sliders from the casting station to said first stripper station.

8. The method of forming and trimming sprays of separable fastener sliders, which consists in forming a spray of sliders at a casting station on bifurcated cores, at least one of the cores being movable relatively to the other, the formation of each spray of sliders at the casting station including a gate, a connecting bar integrally joining adjacent sliders and a part including a transfer lug, then separating the dies and actuating the movable core to feed said spray to a first stripper station, engaging part of said spray by grippers of a gripper arm at said station, then continuing movement of said movable core to strip the spray therefrom, then actuating the gripper arm to move the spray to a trimming station including a trimmer plate and a supporting and aliner plate, then forcing the slider portions of the spray through the trimmer plate in trimming the remainder portion of the spray from said sliders and simultaneously seating the trimmed sliders in nests in said aliner plate, then moving a trimmer punch unit between said plates and through the sliders to further trim the sliders, and then moving the trimmed sliders by said unit to a second stripper station and removing the trimmed sliders from said unit for discharge into a suitable receptacle.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein one of the grippers of the gripper arm and part of the spray have interengaging means for positive alinement of said as semblage at the trimming station.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein said movable core includes means engaging the sliders of the spray for feed of the spray from the casting station to the first stripper station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,511 6/36 Marinsky 29 409 2,569,083 9/51 Wilhelm 22 5s 2,584,916 2/52 Poux 264-161 WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner. I

THOMAS H. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING AND TRIMMING SPRAYS OF SEPARABLE FASTENER SLIDERS, WHICH CONSISTS IN FORMING A SPRAY OF SLIDERS AT A CASTING STATON ON BIFURACTED CORES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS MOVABLE RELATIVELY TO THE OTHER, THE FORMATION OF EACH SPRAY OF SLIDERS AT THE CASTING STATION INCLUDING A GATE, A CONNECTINGBAR INTEGRALLY JOINING ADJACENT SLIDERS AND A PART INCLUDING A TRANSFER LUG, THEN SEPARATING THE DIES AND OPERTING THE MOVABLE CORE TO FEED THE SPRAY OF SLIDERS TO A FIRST STRIPPER STATION, ENGAGING SAID TRANSFER LUG BY GRIPPERS OF A GRIPPER ARM AT SAID STATION, THEN CONTINUING MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE CORE TO STRIP THE SPRAY OF SLIDERS THEREFROM, THEN ACTUATING THE GRIPPER ARM TO MOVE THE SPRAY OF SLIDER ASSEMBLAGE TO A TRIMMING STATION INCLUDING A TRIMMER PLATE AND A SUPPORTING AND ALINER PLATE, FORCING THE SPRAY OF SLIDER ASSEMBLAGE THROUGH THE TRIMMER PLATE TO TRIM THE GATE, CONNECTING BAR AND TRANSFER LUG FROM THE SPRAY OF SLIDERS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SEAT THE TRIMMED SLIDERS IN NESTS OF SAID ALINER PLATE, THEN MOVING A TRIM PUNCH UNIT BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND THROUGH THE SLIDERS IN FURTHER TRIMMING THE SLIDERS, THEN MOVIN THE TRIMMED SLIDERS BY SAID UNITTO A SECOND STRIPPER STATION, AND REMOVING THE TRIMMED SLIDERS FROM SAID UNIT FOR DISCHARGE INTO A SUITABLE RECEPTACLE. 